U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

BUSTED: Former Trump official caught listing hotel as his address as he attempts political comeback in Montana



Former Secretary Ryan Zinke left Donald Trump's administration in disgrace and marred in scandal after it was revealed he was using taxpayer resources to supplement his fancy lifestyle and a real estate scandal.

Now as he tries to mount a political comeback, he's already raising eyebrows by using a hotel as his Montana address while running for Congress.

Multiple probes tied to Zinke's real estate dealings in Montana were reported by The Washington Post in Dec. 2018, when the Interior Department's inspector general referred one of its inquiries to the Justice Department.

"President Trump announced Zinke's exit via Twitter on Saturday morning and praised the departing Interior chief," the Post report said. "Behind the scenes, however, the White House had been pushing Zinke for weeks to resign, administration officials said. Last month, the officials said, Zinke was told he had until the end of the year to leave or be fired."

Zinke had announced he would likely run for Congress in 2022, though in Nov. 2021, it was discovered he spends the overwhelming majority of his time in Santa Barbara, California, living on his wife's yacht.

Now he's facing another controversy as Zinke's opponent, Tom Winter, took a walk in the Montana winter snow over to the address that Zinke said was his "residence." As it turns out, the residence is a hotel.

"I think it's pretty obvious when you show up in March with a really killer tan that you haven't been here for a long time," Jennifer Fielder said in Oct. She served as a former Republican state senator, but she's now backing Zinke's challenger.

The Snow Frog Inn is owned by an LLC tied to Zinke's family. During a 2013 City Council meeting, those starting the hotel said that it would feature six bedrooms for guests, a kitchen, a living room space and lodge area, the ABC affiliate reported at the time. The Inn was Zinke's family home, but he turned it into a bed and breakfast, meaning he could rent out rooms while staying in Santa Barbara or in Washington.

See the video below:
https://www.rawstory.com/ryan-zinke-hotel-house-montana/

[Rick Plant]

Biden surveys 'beyond belief' tornado damage in Kentucky, commits to federal aid
"No one is walking away. We are in this for the long haul," Biden said.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday surveyed damage in Kentucky he described as "beyond belief" and met with families in neighborhoods ravaged by deadly tornadoes last weekend.

After Biden surveyed the destruction in Mayfield by air and then on the ground, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear later choked up when thanking Biden publicly and introducing him in Dawson Springs, where Biden had stopped and talked to families whose homes were destroyed, including a 12-year-old girl carrying an American flag in a neighborhood where nearly every tree had been uprooted.

Biden opened his remarks by reminding people used to travel to Dawson Springs for the city's healing waters, but, Biden said, "Now it's our turn to help the entire town to heal."

"I intend to do whatever it takes, as long as it takes to support your state and local leaders, and as you recover and rebuild because you will recover and you will rebuild," Biden said, surrounded by storm damage. "The scope and scale of this destruction is almost beyond belief. When you look around here, it's almost beyond belief. These tornadoes devoured everything in their path."

He also offered condolences for those who lost someone and insisted "something good must happen" from the tragedy.

"I met one couple on the way up, said they're still looking for four of their friends. They don't know where they are. And those who have lost someone, there's no words for the pain of losing someone. A lot of us know it." Biden said.

"Keep the faith," Biden added. "No one is walking away. We are in this for the long haul."

Ahead of his remarks, Biden updated a presidential disaster declaration to boost federal disaster funds from 75% to 100% coverage for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Kentucky for a 30-day period.

Earlier, before receiving a briefing from state and local officials in Kentucky "on the impacts of the tornadoes and extreme weather," according to the White House, Biden vowed all the federal support he can provide to the area, both now and in the months to come.

"Immediately after a disaster is a time when people are really, really moving, and trying to help each other and trying to get things done. But after a month, after six weeks, after two months, people can get themselves to a point where they get fairly depressed about what’s going on, particularly young kids, particularly people who've lost somebody. And so I just want you to know, the help that we're able to offer at the federal level, is not just now," Biden said.

"I've instructed my team to make you all aware of everything that is available from a federal level," Biden added later on. "And some of it has to do outside of FEMA, outside of Homeland Security, there's other programs, including education, there’s a whole range of things, but I'm here to listen."

The president seemed struck by the scale of the damage he saw on his aerial tour.

"As you fly over here, as I've done in the past, I've not seen this tornado, this much damage from a tornado. You know, you think, but for the grace of God, why was I not 100 yards outside that line? Which makes it so different," he noted.

Biden was joined for the visit by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who were on the ground there on Sunday.

At least 88 people have been confirmed dead across five states, 74 in western Kentucky alone, and the death toll could rise "significantly," Beshear said on Tuesday.

See video below:
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-surveys-tornado-damage-kentucky-ahead-remarks-extreme/story?id=81770219

[Rick Plant]

Biden approves more federal disaster assistance for Kentucky
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/586000-biden-approves-more-federal-disaster-assistance-for-kentucky

After he asked Biden to help his own state of Kentucky, Rand Paul lashed out at critics who brought up his history of opposing disaster-relief bills
https://news.yahoo.com/asked-biden-help-own-state-042834477.html

WATCH: President Biden arrives in western Kentucky
https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/watch-president-biden-arrives-in-western-kentucky/article_66b19cc4-5dbd-11ec-b350-17e722a033b4.html

President Biden tours Kentucky tornado damage, says he'll help 'as long as it takes'
https://www.wlky.com/article/president-biden-kentucky-tornado-damage-mayfield-dawson-springs/38519600

[Rick Plant]

'Jim Jordan is a traitor': Democrat blasts Trump ally for text message urging Pence to reject Biden votes



A Democratic lawmaker ripped into Trump ally Jim Jordan on Wednesday night, after it was revealed that the Ohio Republican forwarded a text message to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urging Vice President Mike Pence to reject some electoral college votes on Jan. 6.

"I feel like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca right now — absolutely not surprised," Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) told MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell.

"Look, Jim Jordan is a traitor," Gallego added. "He's a traitor to the Constitution of the United States. He has been a traitor to the Constitution of the United States for quite a while, and now we actually have it in text."

Gallego added that no one should be surprised given that Jordan was among those who "made up lies on the House floor" on Jan. 6 about fraudulent votes in states including Arizona.

"How is anybody surprised by any of this?" he said. "My biggest issue isn't Jim Jordan. My issue is the fact that there are a lot of people who are not taking this seriously — the fact that there is a slow-moving coup that is happening right now all over this country led by the Jim Jordans and other people."

Gallego said that instead of storming the Capitol, Trump supporters are now focused on capturing seats that could allow them to overturn a future election.

"The coup is ongoing," he said. "The traitors are still there, and they're going to continue to destroy our Constitution every opportunity they have."

Watch the full interview below:

[Rick Plant]

Biden set to surpass Trump in first-year judicial nominees; a window into a major Democratic push



President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his latest wave of nine judicial nominees, capping a year where the selections -- and an effort to establish an imprint on the federal courts -- served as a focal point for his administration.

Biden announced his intent to nominate nine district court nominees, bringing the administration's total for the year to 73 -- one more than former President Donald Trump nominated in his first year in office.

Among the nominees Biden announced his intent to name are Jessica G.L. Clarke, the chief of the New York Attorney General's Civil Rights Bureau since 2019, for the Southern District of New York. He will also nominate Sherilyn Peace Garnett, a former prosecutor and current California Superior Court judge, for the Central District of California.

For Biden and other Democrats, the filling of federal judicial openings took on a new level of significance in the wake of the historically successful push by Trump and Senate Republicans. Biden pledged during his presidential campaign not only to make nominations a priority, but also to pursue nominees who brought both personal and professional diversity to the bench.

"These choices also continue to fulfill the President's promise to ensure that the nation's courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country -- both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds," a White House official said in a statement.

Biden's efforts have been closely coordinated with Senate Democrats and have resulted in 28 confirmations, with at least two other nominees expected to win confirmation before the end of the year. That number also exceeds Trump's first year in office, which has served as an unofficial benchmark of sorts for an administration keen on emphasizing its focus on the courts.

Trump's success marked a cornerstone achievement for then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, and elevated the issue among Democrats, who saw the balance of courts from the Supreme Court on down reshaped before Trump's 2020 reelection defeat.

To this point, Biden has not faced a Supreme Court opening, though Democrats have closely watched his selections as potential steps toward who he would pick should one occur.

Biden's first-year nominees have led to the confirmation of nine circuit court judges, including Lucy Koh, who was confirmed this week by the Senate for the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

The confirmations underscore the effort to fill critical appeals court openings, which are viewed as exceedingly important in the effort to shape the second-highest courts in the country.

An 11th circuit court confirmation -- for Jennifer Sung, also for the 9th Circuit -- is expected to clear the Senate on Wednesday, as is the confirmation of Samantha D. Elliott to be a US district court judge for the District of New Hampshire.

But in a 50-50 Senate controlled by Democrats, time is of the essence for the White House with the midterm elections looming less than a year away.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has made clear that processing and confirming judicial nominees is a priority on the Senate floor. Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, has echoed that emphasis in his committee.

Beyond the numbers themselves, Biden's final group of nominees for the year underscores what has become a model of sorts for his selections in a push to diversify the ranks of the federal judiciary.

The President's selections have included 53 women, making up 73% of all judicial nominees, as well as 20 African Americans, 15 Hispanics and 13 Asian American Pacific Islander picks.

They also include 21 public defenders, 16 civil rights lawyers and five labor lawyers, as the administration has sought to elevate nominees with more diverse professional backgrounds.

The other district court picks are:

Hector Gonzalez, a partner at Dechert LLP, for the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Kenly Kiya Kato, US magistrate judge for the Central District of California, for the US District Court for the Central District of California.

Nina Morrison, senior litigation counsel at the Innocence Project, for the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

William S. Pocan, the deputy chief judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Jennifer L. Rochon, general counsel of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Fred W. Slaughter, California Superior Court judge, for the US District Court for the Central District of California.

Sunshine Suzanne Sykes, California Superior Court judge, for the US District Court for the Central District of California.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/15/politics/biden-judicial-nominations-trump/index.html

[Rick Plant]

Biden Administration Releases $2.9 Billion in Infrastructure Funds to Remove Lead Pipes

The Biden administration announced plans on Thursday to eliminate lead from the nation's drinking water with an infrastructure bill that would dedicate $2.9 billion to the removal of lead pipes.

White House officials reported that an estimated 10 million U.S. homes receive water via lead pipes. Lead from these pipes has been known to seep into drinking water, poisoning people in places such as Flint, Michigan.

According to the World Health Organization, lead poisoning, even in smaller quantities, can be especially dangerous to children, as it can affect brain development and cause behavioral changes, along with a host of other health complications.

"There is no reason in the 21st century for why people are still exposed to this substance that was poisoning people back in the 18th century," Vice President Kamala Harris said in remarks delivered Thursday.

The administration has a 10-year goal of replacing every lead service line in the country. Harris added that doing so would help create jobs.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not set to finalize its requirements for reaching the goal until 2024, which some environmentalists worry could be too little, too late.

Erik Olson, senior strategic director of health at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the administration needs to be more specific on its plan to remove the pipes.

"The top priority must be to require removal of all lead pipes within the decade and to set a strict at-the-tap standard, which is the only way to prevent another generation of kids from drinking water through what is essentially a lead straw," Olson said. "Good intentions won't be enough to get the job done."

In recent years, the risks facing cities with lead service lines have come into focus, most notably in connection to the Flint, Michigan, water crisis.

While the EPA considers how to strengthen the nation's lead-in-water rules, it will allow the previous Trump administration's overhaul of lead regulations to move forward, officials said Thursday. When the Biden EPA's requirements are finalized by 2024, they are expected to call for the replacement of remaining lead drinking water pipes "as quickly as is feasible."

"The science on lead is settled—there is no safe level of exposure and it is time to remove this risk to support thriving people and vibrant communities," EPA administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.

Environment America senior attorney John Rumpler called the administration's plans "long-overdue and an indispensable step toward securing safe water." He said the EPA should set a 10-year deadline to replace lead service lines, as New Jersey did in July.

A Trump administration rule said public water systems should replace 3% of their lead service lines annually if lead levels exceed 15 parts per billion, a rate lower than the previous 7% requirement. Trump administration officials said that the rule eliminated loopholes allowing water systems to avoid removing pipes and would therefore make the replacement process faster.

But environmental groups were critical, saying it allowed the removal to happen too slowly.

The Trump administration also set requirements to make sure that water systems prevent lead in pipes from corroding into drinking water. It also revamped lead testing to make sure water samples come from water sitting in lead pipes instead of near a faucet—a move experts say could push lead level results higher for many utilities nationwide.

The Biden EPA is considering ways to strengthen key parts of the regulation, including the 15 parts-per-billion threshold.

Congress approved $15 billion for lead service line replacement in the infrastructure bill—about one-third less than what the White House and water experts say it will cost to replace them nationally.

Administration officials spoke about additional efforts to limit lead exposure, including more childhood surveillance testing for lead exposure by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to remove lead paint in public housing. Also, the Treasury Department is announcing that surplus COVID-19 relief funds can be used for lead service line replacement projects.

"The challenge that we face is, without any question, great. Lead is built into our cities. It is laid under our roads, and it is installed in our homes," Harris said.

https://www.newsweek.com/biden-administration-releases-29-billion-infrastructure-funds-remove-lead-pipes-1660345

[Rick Plant]

Utah airports to receive millions from Biden infrastructure plan

SALT LAKE CITY — Several airports in Utah will be recipients of $39.2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022. The funds are part of the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan.

According to the FAA, the plan sets aside $2.89 billion dollars for airports across the country in 2022. The bill allocates $15 billion in total for airports over the coming years.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has given us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build safer and more sustainable airports that connect individuals to jobs and communities to the world,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement.

"With this new funding, urban, regional and rural airports across the country now can get to work on projects that have waited for years, modernizing their infrastructure and building a better America."

All in all, 33 airports in Utah will be beneficiaries of the money, including those in Cedar City, Ogden, Moab, Provo, Vernal, St. George, and Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake City International airport will receive the bulk of the money, roughly 69%.

The federal dollars are for roadways, runways, terminals, safety measures, and sustainability projects, according to the FAA.

A spokesperson for the Salt Lake airport said they just learned of the funding project this week and have not yet developed a strategy for spending the money most effectively. However, they said the funds would likely be used for the next phase of the new airport facilities still under construction.

The breakdown of the disbursements are as follows:

Canyonlands Field in Moab: $1,010,713

Cedar City Regional in Cedar City: $1,015,726

Ogden-Hinckley in Ogden: $1,010,481

Provo Municipal in Provo: $1,424,960

Salt Lake City International in Salt Lake City: $24,752,219

St George Regional in St. George: $1,486,245

Vernal Regional in Vernal: $1,008,207

https://kslnewsradio.com/1961210/utah-airports-to-receive-millions-from-biden-infrastructure-plan/


'Americans always rebuild’: Biden promotes infrastructure investments



KANSAS CITY, Mo. — President Joe Biden visited here to tout the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill he signed into law last month, expected to bring billions in spending on roads and bridges, clean water, public transportation, high speed internet and the states.

The president said the investments amount to a “blue collar blueprint” for rebuilding the country, providing more good-paying jobs and economic opportunities, 95 percent of which don’t require a college degree.

For the better part of the 20th century, the United States became a global leader through “our willingness to invest in ourselves,” he said citing the space race and the federal highway system. Now, he said, China and the rest of the world are catching up and moving ahead.

Running through Biden’s speech, delivered at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, was a thread of frustration at the state of the nation’s infrastructure and the difficulties faced by those who struggle to afford prescription drugs or access the internet, implying the nation should be doing far better.

“We never break. We never stop. We Americans always rebuild, and we will rebuild this country,” Biden said.

Biden said the law does something historic in rebuilding the country, fulfilling a promise he made on the campaign trail.

“When I announced for office, I said I was running for three reasons,” Biden said. “One, to restore the soul of this country, a sense of decency and honor. Two, to rebuild the backbone of this country, working class and hard working middle class people — that’s the backbone of this country. And thirdly, to unite the country, which is turning out to be one of the most difficult things, but we’re going to get it done.”

The far-flung city of half a million people has struggled to keep up with the infrastructure needs across its 300 square miles. For years, residents’ water bills rose by double digits every year to fund a federally mandated upgrade to keep the city’s wastewater from overflowing. The city renegotiated that mandate with the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year.

Kansas City’s iconic Buck O’Neil Bridge has long needed replacing and had to be rehabilitated in 2018 while it awaited funding for replacement. The state-owned bridge is now being rebuilt at the cost of $250 million, half of which the city contributed through a sales tax increase.

Missouri’s highways are notoriously troublesome with more than $4.5 billion in unfunded needs. The Missouri General Assembly this spring increased the tax on gasoline for the first time in almost 30 years.

Under the legislation, Kansas is expected to get $2.6 billion in highway funds and $225 million for bridges over five years. Missouri is expected to receive $6.5 billion and $484 million for those investments.

Both states would get hundreds of millions to expand broadband service to disconnected rural areas and low-income families that can’t afford internet access.

Biden said no parent in 21st century America should have to sit in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant to use the Internet, like many did during the pandemic.

“This is the United States of America, for God’s sake,” Biden said.

Biden said the bill also marked the largest investment in passenger railways in the U.S. for 50 years, joking about his own affinity for riding the train from Washington to Delaware.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat who represents the Kansas side of the Kansas City area, said she was excited by the billions of dollars that would flow into the region through infrastructure investments. She said residents can feel the economic impact of decades of underinvestment in infrastructure.

“From bridges to broadband, we’re continuing to create opportunities, because that’s what this is about,” Davids said.

The federal infrastructure bill includes $89 billion for local transit projects over the next five years, with $5.6 billion earmarked for low- or zero-emission vehicles.

In 2020, Kansas City, Mo., became the first major American city to eliminate fares for public transportation. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority operates 78 bus routes across state lines, serving 14 million riders annually. The fleet includes four battery-powered buses, and only zero-emission buses will be added.

Biden also touted the elements of the bill meant to help the environment and protect communities from the effects of climate change. He said roads and bridges would be rebuilt to be more resistant to climate change. He praised Kansas City for its move to zero-emissions buses.

Biden said he grew up like a lot of Americans in a middle class household, but he would hear his parents talk about struggles, like his father losing his health insurance.

“My dad used to say everybody deserves just a little bit of breathing room,” Biden said.

Biden also took the opportunity to tout his Build Back Better plan, which still needs approval by the U.S. Senate. He said the bill would invest in universal preschool to help America catch up on early childhood education. He noted the country ranks 34th.

During the pandemic, women have been forced from the workplace in huge numbers as school closures and quarantines upended their normal childcare plans.

He spoke of a young woman who told him she was forced to ration her insulin because she couldn’t afford it and nearly died as a result. He said the bill would ensure insulin costs no more than $35 per month.

“Think about that,” Biden said. “The difference between nearly dying and thriving is the cost of one drug that cost $10 to make. … It can cost consumers now $1,000 a month.”

https://floridaphoenix.com/2021/12/10/americans-always-rebuild-biden-promotes-infrastructure-investments/